"If you want to study writing, read Dickens. That's how to study writing, or Faulkner, or D.H. Lawrence, or John Keats. They can teach you everything you need to know about writing"

In this quote, author Shelby Foote is highlighting the value of checking out classic literature in order to study writing. He specifically discusses authors such as Charles Dickens, William Faulkner, D.H. Lawrence, and John Keats as examples of authors whose works can teach valuable lessons about the craft of writing. Foote suggests that by immersing oneself in the works of these great writers, one can find out whatever they require to know about composing. This includes methods such as character advancement, plot structure, and making use of language. Foote's message is clear: to end up being a knowledgeable author, one need to first end up being a devoted reader of the masters.